EVENT: Nov. 20-Dec. 31---THE HELP GROUP & RIGHT START LAUNCH NATIONAL IN-STORE HOLIDAY

THE HELP GROUP & RIGHT START LAUNCH NATIONAL IN-STORE HOLIDAY
TOY DRIVE FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM AND OTHER SPECIAL NEEDS

In Natick, Massachusetts, Hundreds of Holiday Toys will be given to Underserved Children

This holiday season, Right Start, a national specialty retailer of juvenile products for infants and young children, in collaboration with The Help Group National Autism Foundation, will conduct a toy drive in all of its 36 store locations throughout the United States. This wonderful program will brighten the holiday season for children with autism and other special needs, ages 5 and under, whose families have limited financial means.

The Help Group National Autism Foundation, established under the auspices of The Help Group – the nation's largest and most comprehensive nonprofit of its kind serving children with autism and other special needs – welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with Right Start to create greater awareness about the special needs community and to reach out to even more children and families this holiday season.

"The Help Group is proud to partner with an organization whose leadership promotes community involvement," said Dr. Barbara Firestone, President and CEO of The Help Group. "We salute Right Start for its commitment to caring and including the public in ongoing awareness campaigns on behalf of children with autism and other special needs."

To maximize the reach of toy donations, The Help Group invited applications for participation from qualified nonprofit autism organizations in each of the Right Start cities throughout the country. These local partners will distribute hundreds of toys to families who may not otherwise have access to toys this holiday season.

Each of these beneficiary autism organizations also received a complimentary copy of Dr. Barbara Firestone's highly acclaimed and award winning book Autism Heroes: Portraits Of Families Meeting The Challenge. This awareness and outreach initiative is part of The Help Group's multi-site, multi-community book distribution program to underserved families made possible through a generous foundation grant.

The holiday toy drive will kick-off on November 20, 2008 and continue through December 31, 2008. "The Right Start's mission is to provide the tools for every stage of a child's life. This holiday season, our customers will have the opportunity to help an underserved child with autism or other special needs by visiting any one of our store locations and buying or donating a new, unwrapped toy," said Hope Neiman, COO, Right Start.